Neuromuscular System Keywords Flashcards
Aerobic
With oxygen
Refers to exercise that is low to medium intensity where the oxygen demand of the muscles can be met
Anaerobic
Without oxygen
Refers to exercise at high intensity where the demand for oxygen by the muscles is so high it cannot be met
Hypertrophy
Muscle becomes bigger and stronger
Motor unit
A motor neurone and its muscle fibres
Motor neurones
Nerve cells which transmit the brains instructions as electrical impulses to the muscles
Neuromuscular junction
Where the motor neurone and the muscle fibre meet
All or none law
Where a sequence of impulses has to be of sufficient intensity to stimulate all of the muscle fibres in a motor unit in order for them to contract, if not, none of them contract
Wave summation
Where there’s a repeated nerve impulse with no time to relax so a smooth, sustained contraction occurs, rather than twitches
Tectanic contraction
A sustained muscle contraction caused by a series of fast repeating stimuli
Spatial summation
When the strength of a contraction occurs by altering the number and size of the muscles motor units
Muscle spindles
Detect how far and how fast a muscle is being stretched and produce the stretch reflex
Golgi tendon organs
Activated when there’s tension in a muscle
Isometric contraction
Where there’s tension in a muscle but no visible movement
Autogenic inhibition
Where there’s a sudden relaxation of the muscle in response to high tension. The receptors involved in the process are Golgi tendon organs
